By Gemma McHugh, September 8, 2026
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was declared ineligible for the WNBA Aug. 24, according to league sources.
Kanter Freedom announced on X he intended to declare for the upcoming draft and later stated he identified as a woman so he could play in the WNBA. He argued he meets the criteria to join the league under its current eligibility rules. His announcement appeared aimed at pressuring the WNBA to clearly define the self-identification and inclusion policies for athletes competing in the league.
Another former NBA player, Royce White, made a similar announcement, stating he “sometimes” identifies as a woman for the purpose of playing professional basketball, prompting controversy among many players and fans.
Declaring for the draft, however, does not guarantee a player is eligible to participate in the league. The WNBA ultimately determines whether a player meets its eligibility requirements and can compete. Kanter Freedom argued that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement does not specifically prevent him from declaring for the draft.
Kanter Freedom, 34, was the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and played 11 seasons. He retired following the 2021-22 season after playing for teams such as the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics.
Although the WNBA has never had a transgender player compete in the league, discussions surrounding transgender athletes in women’s basketball had received significant attention before Kanter Freedom’s announcement.
“I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” said Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest.”
Another development in the discussion regards French basketball player Julie Tètart. Tètart publicly came out as a transgender woman in October 2021 and stepped away from men’s competitive basketball for three years while she transitioned. Tétart returned to basketball with the women’s Monaco Basket Association, becoming the first transgender athlete to join a sports team in Monaco, according to L’Équipe.
During the 2025-26 season, she became one of the top performers, breaking multiple records including the single-game rebounding record, as well as being the top scorer that year. This contributed to a broader discussion about transgender participation in women’s basketball, setting the context for the debate that followed Kanter Freedom’s announcement.
The controversy continued when Kanter Freedom attended a WNBA game and was involved in an altercation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Cloud approached Kanter Freedom, who was sitting courtside, and began yelling and pointing at him. He then stood and stepped onto the court before security and Sky players separated the two. Kanter Freedom was wearing a shirt that defines a woman as an “adult human female.” He was subsequently escorted from the arena.
Following the incident Kanter Freedom posted on social media he was removed from the game for “supporting women.” The Chicago Sky later banned him from attending future home games. Cloud also addressed the incident publicly, calling Kanter Freedom “irrelevant” and saying she wanted to focus on issues affecting women and children rather than the confrontation. She also reaffirmed her support for the transgender community.
For some Cal Poly Pomona students, the discussion extends beyond basketball and into how people connect sports with their identities and values.
“Sports mean much more than just games to many people,” said psychology student and basketball fan, Alejando Franco. “It can mean community and comradeship, thus becoming personal and sparking great emotion. Gender is a very important part of one’s identity, making it a vulnerable subject of discussion.”
Franco said the combination of personal values, identity and people’s emotional connection to sports can make discussions surrounding gender and athletic participation especially complex.
Feature image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
